Are you in need of time out to focus on your leadership and wellbeing?
I might have just the thing…
The Clearing
How would it feel to know you had some time away from the day to day operations of running the organisation?
How would it feel to learn and implement more effective leadership tools to build your self -trust, self-efficacy and improve your problem-solving muscles?
How would it feel to be given support, coaching and guidance throughout that process?
If you’re looking for a way to connect to yourself, to others and to re-anchor your leadership to your core values and purpose, keep reading.
Learn more…
Here’s a 5 minute video explaining more about the programme.
Fill in THIS FORM for a chat.
Do not try to save
the whole world
or do anything grandiose.
Instead, create
a clearing
in the dense forest
of your life
and wait there
patiently,
until the song
that is your life
falls into your own cupped hands
and you recognize and greet it.
Only then will you know
how to give yourself to this world
so worthy of rescue.
by Martha Postlethwaite
To me this poem speaks of the importance of pausing, checking in, connecting, disconnecting, retreating.
Finding the moments of clearing in my often full life - whether it’s two mins, two hours or two days is so important. It is in these spaces that I can look up and out and remind myself to be patient - that it doesn’t all have to be done right here, right now!
What comes to mind for you when you read this poem?
What is The Clearing?
The Clearing is a unique in-person programme for women and non-binary leaders and founders of for-impact organisations.
Through a combination of 1:1 and group coaching, action learning, movement and creativity, we’ll gather to:
Share your dilemmas and challenges around leadership and support your peers in theirs.
Connect with the stories and behaviours that no longer serve you.
Commit to new ways of being or doing that support you better.
Grow your problem-solving muscles and active listening skills.
Engage in collective rest.
The outcome of this programme is simple - to find connection to yourself, to others and to your why.
The Clearing takes place over a year and is designed to address three challenges facing founders and leaders in the times we live in:
It’s hard to take time to stop and rest when there’s so much work to be done and we live in a world that tells us we need to be useful, always.
Being a leader or founder is a lonely place.
It’s not easy to meet your own needs when you’re taking care of so many others.
This programme addresses three challenges that I often see:
ONE
Leadership can be a lonely place.
Even when you’re surrounded by the best team, being the leader of a social-impact organisation can be a lonely place particularly when you’re faced with complex personal or professional issues. The weight of knowing that your decisions can have far-reaching consequences and fearing potential backlash or criticism from others can be overwhelming. The Clearing aims to give you a strong , reliable network and I’ll give you the skills and support to continue this beyond the life of the programme.
TWO
The work feels non-stop.
It’s hard to take time to stop and rest when there’s so much work to be done and we live in a world that tells us we need to be useful, always, where working to the point of exhaustion is rewarded. I’ll help you find control and calm in a world that demands ridiculous workloads.
THREE
It’s not easy to meet your own needs when you’re taking care of so many others.
This often results in overworking and others’ needs being prioritised above all. I’ll help you to figure out what you want and how to put your needs in the picture (without feeling massively guilty about it every time you do).
But whilst we have these challenges in common,
you’re also a unique individual with your own set of challenges
and circumstances.
That’s why the support and coaching conversations will get to the heart of what you need.
The logistics…
Six in-person away days
Our gatherings will take place in a lovely location in Thanet (Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate) - all close to train stations. (see dates below)
Action Learning
As an action learning facilitator, you’ll become part of a ‘set’ and will share your leadership challenges and dilemmas with your fellow set members. More info about action learning HERE.
Virtual check-ins
you’ll get 2 x 30 mins check -in calls with Sarah and 2 x 1 hour calls as a group. You can use these for accountability or just to take some time to notice and re-connect.
Guest speakers / trainers
During our gatherings, we’ll have an extra special guest to inspire and offer you different tools and models for approaching your leadership and wellbeing.
Movement & Rest
We know that some movement and rest is vital to wellbeing and it can help you improve the quality of your thinking. Walking along the coast, gentle yoga, tai-chi and collective rest will all feature at moments in our gatherings.
Food
There will be food and plenty of refreshments. All provided by local businesses in Thanet.
“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”
— John Muir
Who will support you?
-
Sarah Fox
Sarah will be your facilitator and coach throughout The Clearing.
She is a trained and accredited coach, an action learning facilitator and a lover of creating fun, thoughtful and caring gatherings for peers to come together to learn with and from each other.
-
Becky Vincer
Creativity can reduce stress, increase confidence, support problem solving and social connection.
Becky’s speciality is sublimation printing on textiles.
Becky says: “Sublimation printing is an exciting process that can make use of painting, collage, found objects and textiles. It’s a relatively mess free but you can experiment with layers, shapes and colour to make unique pieces.”
Becky is also Sarah’s right hand woman and will be with us at the gatherings.
-
Jo Lilley
Yoga offers us ways to quieten over-active and fatigued body systems.
Through body awareness, breath work, flowing movement, mantra and guided relaxation we can find balance between restoration and movement.
Jo’s a 500hr BWY qualified teacher and a certified specialist teacher through Yoga Campus to teach yoga for stress, burnout and fatigue.
-
Francesca Alphonso
Francesca will be sharing ways to play and be creative to help make better decisions and feel more grounded in your leadership.
More info to follow!
-
Dr Kristin Fredricksson
Kristin is a movement teacher and Feldenkrais Practitioner.
More info to follow!
How Much Is it?
The cost of the programme is £1500. A deposit of £290 is to secure your spot, and then 11 payments of £110.
We’ll have a conversation before you sign up or pay for anything to make sure this is what you need.
Fill in this form if you’re interested and we’ll start a conversation together.
FAQs
if you have other questions, feel free to get in touch!
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Friday 13 September 2024
Friday 8 November 2024
Friday 10 January 2025
Friday 7 March 2025
Friday 9 May 2025
Friday 4 July 2025
You need to make at least 5 out of the 6 dates, including the first session. Ideally you can commit to all of them.
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This is for you if you are a woman or non-binary founder or leader of a pro-social / for-impact organisation - this doesn’t have to be a charity/not-for-profit - as long as it has a social purpose at its core.
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Action Learning is one of the tools we will use to help you share your leadership challenges and dilemmas. You can find more detail about action learning HERE
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I’ve always been interested in how we bring people together even when I was at uni. I took courses that were about community and bringing people together. My career in non-profits led me to run 100s of workshops for all kinds of people in all kinds of places and when I worked for arts charity People United, I ran annual away days that gave participants time to think and breathe.
Now, as an accredited senior practitioner coach, action learning facilitator and trainee coach supervisor I am bringing all of my skills together to support leaders and founders.
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I have lived here in Thanet for 20 years now - nearly half of my life and I’d love it to be the backdrop to some powerful and impactful work. Not only a backdrop but an integral part of creating support for those who work so hard to make life better for others.
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Yes! I’m going to run this virtually too if there’s enough interest (minus the Kent coast and food). There will still be connection, collective rest, movement and powerful action learning. Send me a message if you’re interested.
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The fee includes 6 days of in person gathering; all additional workshops; lunch, drinks and plenty of snacks; and resources. It also includes 2 x 1:1 coaching sessions plus 2 x virtual group calls.
Kind things people have said about working with me:
“My board have just told me tonight that they can see the change in me since I started to work with you. And that the investment is more than worth it. Thank you 🙏”
— Bethan Tomlinson, Executive Director at Tramshed
“Sarah has an incredible ability to create and hold a supportive, warm and generous space whilst also providing specific, effective and focused reflections. Sarah has enabled me to unpick challenges, better understand my needs and ambitions and look to the future. she's a fantastic coach and facilitator and I'd highly recommend working with her.”
— Hannah Cox, Joint CEO at Jackson’s Lane
“Sarah helped me work through my thinking as I was moving into a new phase of life. She was incredibly helpful and gave me the focus I needed to keep my head out of the weeds and on the horizon. Thank you.”
— Victoria Papworth, CEO Social and Community Capital
“I have been working remotely for a year and being part of the set has given me regular touch points and a dedicated supportive space in which to reflect on and explore challenges and come up with clear actions steps, that I have felt motivated to take, to address these challenges. Through set meetings I have widened my perspective, gained new awareness and developed my listening, open questioning and giving feedback skills. All of which have had a positive impact on my work.
Through Sarah incorporating into set meetings useful tools, techniques and theories to further support us in our roles and work interactions there has been an added bonus and I have already put some of these into practice.
I have really enjoyed working with Sarah. She creates a welcoming, warm and safe space within set meetings. Her sense of humour ensures there is laughter and her coaching background ensures there is supportive stretch for set members. I would not hesitate in recommending working with Sarah.”
Anonymous Leader of Social Impact organisation